"Hearken unto me, O Jacob, and Israel, my called; I am He; I am the first, I also am the last. My hand also has laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand has spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together. All you, assemble yourselves, and hear; which among them has declared these things? The Lord has loved him: He will do His pleasure on Babylon, and His arm shall be on the Chaldeans. I, even I, have spoken; yea, I have called him: I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous. Come near unto me, and hear this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord God, and His Spirit, has sent me. Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the Lord your God which teaches you to profit, which leads you by the way that you should go. O that you had hearkened to my commandments! then had your peace been as a river, and your righteousness as the waves of the sea: Your seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of your bowels like the gravel thereof; his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me. Go forth of Babylon, flee from the Chaldeans, declare with a voice of singing, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth; say, The Lord has redeemed His servant Jacob. And they thirsted not when He led them through the deserts: He caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them: He clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out. There is no peace, says the Lord, unto the wicked." (Isaiah 48:12-22)
Never forget for a moment that the message of Isaiah is to the end of the world; that he was not prophesying merely for those who lived at the time he spoke and wrote, but for everybody who should live until everything of which he prophesied is completed. He foretold the coming of the Lord, and no matter how long that event may seem to be delayed, the message is to all who live until Christ comes.
Come Out of Babylon!
"Go forth of Babylon, flee from the Chaldeans, declare with a voice of singing, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth; say, The Lord has redeemed His servant Jacob." (Isaiah 48:20)
Babylon, the power that thought that the strength received from God was inherent in itself, (Isaiah 47:8,10) and that exalted itself above God, (2 Thessalonians 2:4) is still before us. The houses and walls built by Nebuchadnezzar were long since destroyed, and the kingdom of Babylon has long since ceased to be named among men; nevertheless Babylon is today as really in existence, and is as active, as it was in the days of Isaiah. The message that we are now studying proclaims, "Go forth of Babylon, ... say, The Lord has redeemed His servant Jacob." (Isaiah 48:20)
This message is so important that the Lord repeated it several hundred years later, when, as the world reckons, Babylon was out of existence. In the Scriptures called the New Testament, which are not by any professed Christians handed over to the Jews, as their especial property, but which are claimed as the Christian Scriptures, we read, "Come out of her, my people." (Revelation 18:4)
Isaiah wrote, "Go forth of Babylon, flee from the Chaldeans, declare with a voice of singing, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth; say, The Lord has redeemed His servant Jacob." (Isaiah 48:20)
John, by the same Spirit, uttered the same message, in almost identical words: "Rejoice over her, heaven, and holy apostles and prophets; for God has avenged you on her." (Revelation 18:20)
The message is no more true or important because it is repeated; but the repetition makes it more emphatic. The fact that it is repeated after the time when men would unthinkingly say that Babylon is a thing of the past, and believers in the fulfillment of prophecy might say that the words of the Lord by Isaiah have been fulfilled, and are now a mere matter of history, to be studied merely as showing that God's Word cannot fail, shows that Babylon still exists, and that Isaiah's prophecy is as live, present truth as any portion of the Bible.
Nothing of God's Word has failed, and all that has already come upon Babylon is but a pledge that every prediction will be fulfilled to the letter. Babylon, that proud power that reigns in the hearts of men, leading them to exalt themselves against God, and to ignore Him, and even openly to defy Him, is yet to receive the fullness of her punishment. Come out of her!
Babylon Ancient and Modern
Christ is the one whose arm will accomplish the destruction of Babylon, even as it is He who redeems the people of God. The destruction of Babylon is merely a portion of the work of redemption. "The Lord has loved Him: He will do His pleasure on Babylon, and His arm shall be on the Chaldeans." (Isaiah 48:14)
He is the Beloved of the Lord. The capture of Babylon by Cyrus was only a foretaste, a pledge, of the final destruction of that "mystery of iniquity," (2 Thessalonians 2:7) the "man of sin," "the son of perdition," (2 Thessalonians 2:3) of which Babylon and its king, putting human laws above the law of God, (Daniel 7:25) stood as the representative to the end of the world. The spirit of Nebuchadnezzar, when he made a golden image, and commanded all to worship it, thus setting at nought the law of God; and the spirit of Belshazzar, who in the pride of his dominion defied God, and thought that he had conquered Him, has been transmitted through all the kingdoms to the present time. And not only is the spirit of Babylon in the kingdoms of the earth, but it is in the professed church of God.
When Nebuchadnezzar saw that there was a power above him, and acknowledged it, he presumed to legislate for God, as though God were not able to execute His own laws, and defend His own honor. He began to serve God in the same spirit with which he had just defied Him, and said, "I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort." (Daniel 3:29)
There speaks religion in Government--the Church working through the State. Nebuchadnezzar was sincere in this supposed service to God--as sincere as he was when he defied God, and no more,--but his last decree was no more Christian than the first. In both of them he showed that he thought himself at least equal to God.
The proclamation recorded in the 4th chapter of Daniel, where Nebuchadnezzar makes his public confession, not as a king, but as a man, is a Christian confession. Although he was king of the mightiest kingdom that ever existed on this earth, he could serve God only as an individual. His example and influence would be more far-reaching than that of any other man; but as a true Christian he could use no other means to make men serve God than his personal confession by faith.
But that is not the spirit of Babylon. Babylon did not become imbued with the spirit that possessed Nebuchadnezzar at the last. He died, and the same old spirit of self-exaltation, and of rejection of God, resumed sway. It still exists in the world, in so-called "Christian nations," and even in the professed church of Christ, because it is the spirit of human nature. The call is to forsake it. "Come out of her, my people!" (Revelation 18:4)
God's Right and Power to Speak
The Lord speaks. It is He who has "laid the foundation of the earth," (Psalm 102:25) who with the span of His hand has measured the heavens. (Isaiah 40:12) "He has made a memorial for His wonderful works," (Psalm 111:4,Literal) in order that we may know that He is God. Every week it comes to us, so that we are without excuse if we forget God, and fail to put our whole trust in Him. "In six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it." (Exodus 20:11) "Hallow my Sabbaths: and they shall be a sign between me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God." (Ezekiel 20:20)
He is the one who "teaches us that which will be of profit to us, and who leads us in the way that we ought to go." (Isaiah 48:17,paraphrase) "We have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way;" (Isaiah 53:6) and, "The way of peace we have not known," (Isaiah 59:8; Romans 3:17) therefore God cries to us appealingly: "O that you had hearkened to my commandments! then had your peace been as a river, and your righteousness as the waves of the sea." (Isaiah 48:18)
What Righteousness Is
Righteousness is right-doing; it is the opposite of unrighteousness, and: "All unrighteousness is sin." (1 John 5:17) "Sin is the transgression of the law." (1 John 3:4)
Therefore righteousness is the keeping of the law. It is also peace, because it is the way of the Lord, (Psalm 119:1-3) and He is "the very God of peace." (1 Thessalonians 5:23) "Great peace have they which love your law: and nothing shall offend them." (Psalm 119:165) "[They have] none occasion of stumbling." (1 John 2:10) "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:1)
Thank God, "the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5)
Even though we have sinned, and have departed from the law of peace and righteousness, we may in Christ be brought into the right way, because He is the way, the true way. His name is: "The Lord our righteousness." (Jeremiah 23:6) "He is of God made unto us wisdom, and righteousness." (1 Corinthians 1:30) "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believes." (Romans 10:4)
Those who forsake their own way, and come to Christ, allowing Him to dwell in their hearts by faith, attain unto righteousness, (Romans 9:30-33) even that righteousness which is "witnessed by the law and the prophets." (Romans 3:21)
What Peace Means
What is peace? Alas, very few know. Even those who accept the Lord, very often are content with but a fragment of the peace which He bestows. It is wonderfully comprehensive. The Hebrew word here rendered "peace," is a very common one, conveying the idea of wholeness, soundness, health, welfare of every kind. A few instances of its use may be of service to us. In the following texts, the words which are identical with the word "peace" in our lesson, are given in Italic. "Jacob asked the shepherds concerning Laban, Is he well? And they said, He is well." (Genesis 29:6) "Joseph asked his brethren of their welfare, and said, Is your father well? And they answered, Your servant our father is in good health." (Genesis 43:27-28) "When David came near to the people, he saluted them." (1 Samuel 31:21)
The margin has it, "He asked them how they did."
We ask people how they do; so did the men of old, only instead of saying, "How do you do?" they said, "How is your peace?" meaning the same thing. "And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered." (2 Samuel 11:7)
Literally, he asked after the peace of the people, and after the peace of the war! "And Joab said to Amasa, Are you in health, my brother?" (2 Samuel 20:9)
The Hebrew verb from which the noun meaning "peace" is derived, means finishing, completion, restoration. It occurs, for example in the following texts: "If a man borrow aught of his neighbor, and it be hurt, or die, the owner thereof not being with it, he shall surely make it good." (Exodus 22:14) "He shall make amends for the harm that he has done in the holy thing." (Leviticus 5:16)
Peace is Health of Soul and Body
These illustrations of the use of the word rendered "peace" are sufficient to show that peace, in the Bible use of the term, is not an abstract thing, a mere sentiment or state of mind. It comprises everything that pertains to man. That which is expressed in Isaiah 48:18, as the condition of those who hearken to God's commandments, is identical with what we have in: "The very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thessalonians 5:23)
The peace which comes as the result of keeping the commandments, or, rather, the peace which is the keeping of the commandments, means perfect health of body, as well as perfect purity of soul. It is indicated in the words of John: "Beloved, I wish above all things, that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers." (3 John:2)
If men had hearkened to the commandments of God, their health of body and of mind would have been as continuous as the current of a river, and as full as the fullness of the sea. We have not hearkened to God's commandments; but there is forgiveness with Him, and the bestowal of righteousness through the Lord Jesus Christ; and in Him we are made complete, (Colossians 2:10) for: "He is our peace." (Ephesians 2:14) "Of His fullness have all we received." (John 1:16)
If we will but allow the Holy Spirit to strengthen us according to the riches of the glory of God, so that Christ may dwell in us by the Spirit, we shall "be filled with all the fullness of God." (Ephesians 3:19)
Peace Like a River
God's life flows as a river. From His throne proceeds the "river of water of life, clear as crystal," (Revelation 22:1) because, "with Him is the fountain of life." (Psalm 36:9)
That life flows through the universe, bringing perfect health and righteousness wherever it is allowed to flow unhindered. If we give the Word of life free course in us, then our peace, our righteousness, our physical health, everything that pertains to our welfare, will flow as a river, even as the river of God, because we shall be having the saving health of God's life constantly in us. The stream "flowing, ever flowing,"--W. V. Miller, Hymn: The Well of Living Water, 1908--will wash away all impurities, so that no evil of any kind can remain behind to clog the system.
He makes the poor sinner, sick in body and mind, "every whit whole. He gives" (John 7:23) "perfect soundness." (Acts 3:16)
The holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord, is but the wholeness which the life of God in Christ imparts. "The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep our hearts" (Philippians 4:7) when we trust God for everything. That means that our life will be redeemed from destruction, (Psalm 103:4) for "out of the heart are the issues of life" (Proverbs 4:23)
Oh, what a salvation this,
That Christ liveth in me!
--D. W. Whittle, Hymn: Christ Liveth in Me, 1891.
The Fountain Ever Flowing
In proof of the fact that He will make our peace--complete health of spirit, soul, and body-flow as a river, "[God] caused the waters to flow out of the rock: He clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out." (Isaiah 48:21)
And this very thing He continues to do until the present time. Every river that is fed by the rain that descends from heaven, is but one of the branches of the river of life. "You visit the earth, and water it: You greatly enrich it with the river of God, which is full of water: You prepare them corn, when You have so provided for it. You water the ridges thereof abundantly: You settle the furrows thereof: You make it soft with showers: You bless the springing thereof." (Psalm 65:9-10)
That fountain of water gushing forth from the rock, which so many of us have seen, from which we have slaked our thirst, and the beauty of which we have admired, is caused to flow by the Lord, and comes truly from the Rock Christ Jesus. "And [they] did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ." (1 Corinthians 10:4) "Behold, I will stand before you there upon the rock in Horeb; and you shall smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink." (Exodus 17:6)
Every drink and every bath that we take should be a reminder to us that we drink in the life of Christ, which can also cleanse us from all sin; and that that life is perfect peace for us, if we will but take it,--the healing of every wound, every disease, that tends to spoil our peace.
Shall we not make it the business of our lives to seek this fountain of peace?--Present Truth, February 1, 1900--Isaiah 48:12-22.